Don't Shoot the Messenger
by muchoblidged
Summary: -SEMI HIATUS- As Kakashi and Ayame grow closer, Ayame begins to realize that with Kakashi's busy shinobi life they barely talk, and she has Naruto carry messages between the two of them...for a price. Pairing/s/: KakashixAyame
1. Not So Awkward Silences

Ayame slipped another portion of noodles in a bowl, handing it to her father to serve to the customer. The day was busy but it seemed to escape her - all of these days did. It wasn't that long since she'd seen his face and ever since she'd been enchanted with him. A mystery man - very desirable! But now that she'd seen his true face, he hadn't lost his appeal. In fact, he only became more appealing. With a handsome - no, _gorgeous_ face like his why would he hide it? A secret past? An abundance of enemies? Who could tell? Only that man - the most unavailable man in Konohagakure no Sato.

_Hatake Kakashi._

"Ayame!" Teuchi shouted. Ayame snapped back into focus. Her hand was submerged in a steaming pile of ramen noodles. She winced as the sensation shot up her arm, filling the right side of her body with jolts of pain. Teuchi grabbed the bowl away from her, tossed the ramen and put the bowl in the growing pile of dirty dishes. Teuchi gave Ayame a tired look. She bowed her head and untied her apron.

"I'll go now." Ayame sighed, removing the cloth from her head. Teuchi nodded and watched her as she disappeared into the backroom. He turned back to the customers, apologizing for the delay.

_Hatake Kakashi._ The name just rolled off the tongue with ease, like ramen noodles well-soaked in a thick broth. Ayame shook her head angrily. _I'm using my father's ramen comparisons! _Ayame let out a moan, leaning against a tree.

Ramen. It had been her life. She'd grown up watching her father knead the dough and cook the broth. Ramen noodles were ingrained into her tongue, her mind, her blood.

Ayame shook her head. She refused to get into another reverie about her ramen-filled childhood and whether or not she would continue the business, the merits of doing so, would her children continue the business and on and on.

"A ryo for your thoughts?"

Ayame looked up, startled back into reality. She had been deeper in thought than she'd realized. A familiar face (or half of it) looked down from the red and orange leaves. "Hatake-san!" She cried. Kakashi dropped down. "My apologies - I-I didn't mean to interrupt your training!" She cried. Kakashi eyes twinkled (-sparkled? -shone? -burned deeply into her heart igniting a fiery passion within her? Ayame quickly shooed the last from her mind.)

"Training? No I'm just waiting for my team. But in the meantime -"

"KAKASHI-SENSEI!" Ayame almost cringed at the tone. Naruto's loud voice was easily recognizable even when it sounded far away. She cared for the boy but -

"KAKASHI-SENSEI WHERE ARE YOU?"

Exactly.

"NARUTO-IDIOT NOT SO LOUD!"

The pink-haired girl. Her name was something plain and ordinary. Some sort of flower...Yuri?

"Would you two just shut up?"

The quiet blue-haired Uchiha. His coldness made him unlikeable, but all the girls seemed crazy over him.

Kakashi gave her a smile through his mask. "They'll be here soon." Ayame could almost visualize playing on his slender lips. She blushed at the thought. Kakashi glanced down at her hand. "You're hurt." Ayame went to hide her hand, but Kakashi grabbed it gently and held it close to his face. She could almost feel his mask brushing the bandaged skin.

"It's nothing." She lied, feeling the pain pulsing more fiercely from it now that she was paying attention to it. Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

"I just hope you're alright." Ayame faked a cough to cover her blush. What made him so beautiful and yet easy to talk to? She didn't feel crushed by his attractiveness, but just...attracted to it. Team 7 rounded the corner and Naruto pointed at Kakashi.

"KAKASHI-SENSEI! WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR TWO HOURS! WHERE WERE YOU?" He bellowed. The pink-haired girl (Ah yes! Sakura!) seemed too tired to lecture him. The Uchiha gave him an annoyed look and glanced away. Kakashi had already released her hand and was walking towards the children, an aloof air about him. Ayame blinked, shocked at how quickly he'd made his departure. Hadn't he whispered goodbye with a wink or a cloth-swathed smile? Or had it been a swift kiss on her hand? Her cheek maybe? Blushing, Ayame ducked away barely hearing Kakashi laugh "Well, a white cat crossed my path..."

Not wanting to go home, Ayame walked through Konoha. It was good way to lose yourself. The crowds made you feel more part of the village and less like an individual person. She had changed from her worn Ichiraku uniform to a kimono. The dark blue cloth blended with the night sky when she held her arms up. Ayame let the crowd carry her where it pleased and she was brought into a small clearing that had a vendor selling tea. Ayame walked over to the cart and purchased a cup of green tea. She closed her eyes and drank the steaming liquid, trying to imagine a ramen to compliment the taste of the brew. She turned around and was shocked to find Kakashi leaning against a tree, hidden in the shadows. A bright orange book seemed to glow in his hands. Frozen, she stared as her startled mind tried to make a decision.

_Go talk to him!_

_Are you crazy no way!_

_Why not you like him!_

_What will I say? He'll think I'm weird!_

_Just go! He's nice! I'm sure you'll find something to say._

_No, no, no!_

_Oh please! Stop being such a child and just GO!_

Ayame stumbled with the force of the thought. Her sandal-clad foot stopped her from smashing into the ground. Ayame let out a breath. _One step. _She put her other foot down returning to a more normal standing position. _Two steps._

_Just go!_

Ayame made her shaky, slow way over to him. She blushed furiously when she saw the large red symbol on the back of it. _A romance novel? Not even! Could it be hen-_

"Ayame-san!" Kakashi said with a note of surprise in his voice. Ayame nodded, dragging her eyes away from the warning label on the back cover.

"Hatake-san! It - it's nice to see you." She gushed, embarrassed by the emotion in her voice.

"How long have you been standing there?" Kakashi asked. Ayame froze up, not sure herself.

"Eh..."

_I told you this was a bad idea!_

_Oh stop!_

Kakashi closed the book and stood up. He wasn't wearing his bulging shinobi vest, just the navy shinobi shirt. "It's a wonderful night." He noted looking up at the stars which were much more visible in the small clearing. Ayame followed his gaze. The moon glowed in crisp autumn air that filled the onyx expanse. Kakashi titled his head slightly. "Would you like to walk with me?" He asked. The question was sudden and needless to say it caught Ayame off guard but it didn't seem awkward or rushed. The words fit like a puzzle piece into the quiet silence of the moment.

"Yes, I would."

Ayame walked nearly all night with him. The went all around Konoha from the apartments, deep into the forest to the farms and rice paddies. Kakashi turned to her at one point and smiled. Ayame blinked, somewhat confused before realizing they were in front of Ichiraku Ramen. "I hope we can do this again sometime." Ayame smiled and nodded.

_Kiss him._

_Are you unwell?_

_Nothing big! Just on the cheek!_

_Seriously?_

_Yes._

_No._

_You're going to._

_N-_

Ayame's lips touched Kakashi's skin gently, barely feeling the rough edge of his mask. She bowed slightly and smiled at him. "Goodnight." She murmured before slipping into the shadows behind Ichiraku. She didn't see Kakashi, Hatake Kakashi, frozen in the streets of Konoha, blushing - blushing! - for the first time in a long while.

--

Kakashi lay Make-Out Paradise on his desk and stared on his window. Ayame, who until recently he had been referring to in both conversation and thought as The Ramen Girl, has kissed him. Usually he was easily able to duck away before any normal girl mustered up the courage to even confront him. Except for Anko...but she wasn't 'any normal girl.'

But Ayane was a normal girl. He didn't see her very much but when he did, it was usually just them. Kakashi ate at the stand when few others were there. Only he, her and possibly Teuchi would be in the small both. Their exchanges were short (he mostly had take out) but when he did see and talk to her there was something about her, something approachable and cute. A kind of girl-next-door type. He easily see her in the pages of Make-Out Paradise, hooked up with the boy-next-door in one of the more modest puppy love sequences.

And even though she was normal civilian, a cookie cutter girl-next-door, a hard-working and somewhat dreamy girl...

Even though...


	2. A Ticket to Him

"And where were you so late?" Teuchi demanded. A sushi platter for dinner. Tuna, salmon, eel and crab. Half of it was eaten, the rest saved in a refrigerator for her.

"I was out in Konoha. I took a walk." Ayame answered, dipping a tuna nagiri into some soya sauce.

"That's not safe, Ayame. Especially not this late. Was anyone with you?" Teuchi asked. Ayame nodded, feeling self-conscious and secretive about her time with Kakashi. "Who?" Teuchi asked, his voice strained. Ayame tensed. He was losing his temper.

"A ninja..." Ayame said, reaching for a tuna roll. She put some pickled ginger on it and shoved slipped it into her mouth. "Hagage Gagahe." was what came out, but her father heard perfectly.

"Hatake?" He shouted, sitting up sharply. He calmed down. "Hatake..." He said, rubbing his chin. He grinned. "Ah! Hatake!" A slight blush swept across his cheeks. He poked Ayame with his chopsticks, careful to not drag his sleeve in the tea. "A good choice, Ayame. He _is_ very attractive and a skilled ninja from what I've heard!" Teuchi laughed heartily. "Naruto-kun holds great respect for him, but I hear his reading choice is something else!" Ayame blushed, wanting desperately to escape the kotatsu. Teuchi noticed his daughter becoming uncomfortable and he let his laughter fade away. "Sorry there wasn't any oden. I completely forgot we were out of vegetables. I guess we need to get more sleep, eh?" Ayame nodded, relaxing since the conversation was turning away from Kakashi. They left for bed. Ayame dreamt of blackness and Kakashi deep in the center of it.

When Ayame returned to the shop the next morning, the streets were nearly empty. It was Sunday and Konoha was still sleeping. Kakashi usually arrived around then when the sky was still flaked with pink and orange hues of the sunrise. Ayame frowned and turned wiped down the counter as her father pulled up the screen in front of the shop. The whole day as customers came and went, Kakashi was no where to be seen. Ayame couldn't seem to find her joyous waitress smile all day. Why wasn't he here? They had just shared a romantic walk through Konoha and he didn't even drop by to say 'hi?' Ayame slammed a customer's bowl on the counter. The young man flinched and glanced up at the waitress. "Er..." He mumbled, unsure of what he'd done. Ayame gasped, realizing her mistake and quickly grabbed a cloth to wipe up the mess.

"I'm sorry sir! I'll have this cleaned up right away! My apologies!" She gushed slipping the rag around the bowl hurriedly. Embarrassed but still frustrated, Ayame turned away to monitor the broth. How dare he just not show? She grit her teeth and glared at the broth, adding some more water to it.

Before her father could give her a lecture about her behavior and performance that day, Ayame hung up her apron and head handkerchief and slipped away. Kakashi wasn't there...Why wouldn't he be there? The ordeal tore her up. Dressing in a dark jacket and denim pants, she went out looking for him. It was like he had just disappeared. She checked all of the ninja training grounds (the ones accessible to the public anyways,) the residential district, and even the farming district! No where...

As night fell, Ayame retreated to the hot springs, giving up her search. Kakashi was pretty desirable man. It wasn't impossible that he spent his days with different girls. She tried not to think that this was her fault - that she had offended or disgusted him with her behavior or that kiss...

Ayame walked up the stone pathway to the hot springs. As she turned to enter the women's changing room, she saw an orange flash flying out the door towards her. She ducked away seconds before the blur reached her. Instead of crashing into her, the object smashed into the stone pathway. A plume of smoke shot up from it. "Ow..." It moaned, righting itself.

"AND STAY OUT YOU STUPID PERVERT!" One of the women bellowed. The others shouted various insults at him and slammed the doors shut quickly. Ayame peered at the being, waving away the remaining smoke.

"Naruto-kun?" She whispered.

"Nnn..." Naruto groaned, rubbing his hair. He looked up. "Ah! A-Ayame-san! I - well, I - umm...I." He looked around frantically for someway to explain the situation. "Uhh..." Ayame blushed and turned away. Naruto swallowed and ran off, thankful she didn't want to explore the matter further. Ayame stood, listening to Naruto's hurried footsteps. Her head snapped up suddenly. She ran after Naruto quickly.

"Wait!" She shouted. "WAIT!" Naruto stopped and turned around, dreading what would happen. Ayame panted and bent over, gasping for breath. _Ninja are fast..._She looked up. "Naruto, where's Hatake-san?"

Naruto gave her a suspicious look. "He's on mission. It's an simple escort, so Sakura and I aren't going."

Ayame smiled weakly. At least he wasn't avoiding her just because of the kiss...She looked at him. "But, how long has he known about this?"

Naruto laughed nervously. "Oh, Kakashi-sensei's always forgetting stuff. He'd forget his mask if it wasn't..." Naruto blinked and trailed off, losing track of the joke. "Anyway, I'd say probably a day or so..." Ayame let out a breath of relief. He wasn't leading her on either, spending time with her only to run off to a mission. Naruto swallowed, hoping Ayame would forget about the hot springs event. "Ayame-san? I have to...go. Do, things." He jerked his thumb at the direction he had been heading to. Ayame raised a hand.

"One more thing Naruto-kun. Hatake-san and I, well, I..." She gathered her words. "He can't always come to the ramen shop and I'd like to know where he is." Even in her head that had sounded awkward, but it was the only way she could put it without revealing her feelings. Naruto paused, then shrugged and stretched.

"I dunno Ayame-san...That's kind of a lot of work...Kakashi-sensei forgets most of his schedule and he doesn't usual tell us what he's doing. It'd be tough to figure out what he's up to even on a week-to-week basis." He sighed.

Ayame's eyebrow twitched in frustration. _The little sneak._ She grimaced. _He's milking this for all it's worth! Probably wants free ramen or something. _She frowned. "Fine." Ayame marched up to Naruto. "For every three updates you get a large bowl of ramen, any type with anything on it."

Naruto grinned. "Works for me!" He tipped her a mock salute. "Thanks Ayame-san!"

Ayame frowned._ Naruto...I didn't know you could be so scheming._


End file.
